


Kings of Death

by RamblesandDragons



Series: Gravity Falls One-Shots [6]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, But I like it like this, Dialogue Heavy, Do not tag as stancest please for love of all that is good, Halloween gives me spooky ideas I guess, I woke up with this idea at 7 in the morning and had to write the whole thing, It's sad but not too sad, Not Beta Read, Two major character deaths really, What tense is this why did I write it like this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27055981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RamblesandDragons/pseuds/RamblesandDragons
Summary: Stan owes more debts than he realizes.Or how Stan is a surprisingly good fit for a terrible job.
Relationships: Ford Pines & Stan Pines
Series: Gravity Falls One-Shots [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581268
Comments: 33
Kudos: 81





	Kings of Death

The figure looms over Stan and he wakes up with a start. After a moment Stan recognizes the unexpected visitor and rolls his eyes.

“Aw hell.”

“Hey mid 90s is a good run friend.”

Stan stands up out of the bed and realizes that he’s left his body behind.

“ Wow did I really go peacefully in my sleep?” Stan never thought that would happen. He should have died so many horrible deaths by this point. That’s why Mr. Dark and Scary was probably smiling at him. Stan figures he's given the treat to see the guy’s true face. Young (Way too young. Maybe early 20s.) Sandy hair with gaunt cheeks.

“Yes. Now about that arrangement...”

“Yeah sure. I mean I thought I hallucinated the whole thing but I’ll keep to it.”

“That fever was pretty nasty.”

( _“No! Please I have to save my brother! You can’t take me now over a fuckin’ cold! I swear I’ll fight you if I have ta!”_

_“It’s not a cold it’s an infection. Take it easy Stanley...”_

_“No! Look whatever you want I’ll give it to ya I just have to save my brother! Let me stay until then!”_

_“Okay, okay.”_

_“...Really?”_

_“Yeah. I’m here because I opted to save my little sister. Starvation’s a bitch let me tell you. So here’s the deal. I leave you alone until...later...and when your time does come again you take my job._

_“Can you do that?”_

_“That’s how I got it basically.”_

_“You want to give this up?”_

_“We all do eventually. 200 ish years of taking souls isn’t fun Stan. Someone else can take the job but the previous person has to find someone crazy enough to do it.”_

_“Okay...okay. Spare me now and you’ll get your break later.”_ )

“So pal if I get the cloak and scythe now what happens to you.”

“I get to rest. Hopefully see my family again.”

Stan knows this isn’t going to be fun but honestly the poor kid deserves the chance to rest. He reaches for the scythe and suddenly it’s his. The cloak too. The kid is gone with a whisper of a ‘thank you.’

The work does suck. It’s sad but sometimes it’s not. A person finally being able to rest after a long fight is peaceful. Stan comforts who he needs to. At some point his old joke book appears in his pocket and after a few jokes most folk are _more_ than willing to get going to avoid the puns.

He likes that he can control what people see and is glad he’s not stuck with that dumb cloak. He goes with a darker version of what he wore at sea. A long black jacket, shirt, pants, and boots but he keeps the beanie red. Sometimes it’s the suit and fez when he’s feeling it. Most of the time he wears his face. A little less wrinkled but still grey. But if he’s grabbing some evil fucker and throwing them where they belong he goes full skeleton. (The kid before him might not have been a kid. Maybe it was to pull some sympathy but Stan figures that’s how old he really was when he bit the dust. It's strange how many things he just _knows_ now. Ford would have a field day with this ability.)

Kids are the hardest of course but he holds their hands and tells them stories. Sometimes it helps of he’s a kid in the moment. He gets really good at cheering them up.

Some people are so angry they can’t leave with him. He sees ghosts in more places than most people would expect. It’s always a relife for both parties when he can collect them after finding whatever peace they needed.

Sometime later (not as long as Stan would have liked but the nerd couldn’t live forever he knows this) Stan finds himself at Ford’s side. His brother wakes and looks like a confused owl for a second.

“S-Stanley!”

“Heya Sixer.”

Ford leaps from the bed (not noticing that his body stays) and wraps Stan in a hug.

“What? How?” His head turns to see his body and realization hits his twin hard.

“.. YOU'RE THE GRIM REAPER?”

Stan can’t help but laugh a little.

“Yeah. Promised the old guy I’d take over back when I had a close call.”

Ford looks utterly bewildered. After a moment his eyes soften.

“Are you okay?”

“Ya just died and you’re asking _me_ if I’m okay?”

“I would guess this isn’t an ideal job.”

Stan shrugs. Most people are smart enough to know the job sucks and it’s best not to to do it. Not like people haven’t offered to do anything to avoid the inevitable but the right person hasn’t done it yet. Someone who isn’t begging for their own life but to help another. Maybe a little more time to save their brother or trading their death for their sister’s life. Something like that. They also got to be tough enough to handle it. Stan figures he’s got a while to go before he find his replacement. He’ll probably know them when he sees them.

“So now what?” Ford asks.

“You get to rest.”

“I’ve missed you. Everyone has.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve been keeping an eye on though. Perks of the job. People die like every minute but I think I exist outside of time now? I get to see the world and watch over folks. Not all the time. I do havta do that job but I get some me time.”

“By yourself.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Ford looks like he’s made up his mind about something. Suddenly he jumps at Stan and grabs the scythe. Of course the reaper doesn’t let him take it and an absurd tug of war starts.

“Ford! You deserve to rest! I made the deal I’m fine!”

“You deserve rest too and you spent so much time alone I wont let you do it again!”

It happens in a blink of an eye. The scythe breaks in half. Then it reforms as two scythes. Ford is clothed in a black cloak. The twins stare at each other in shock for a few moments.

“Stan did you do that?”

“N-No. I’m pretty sure something like this is a higher up idea.”

Stan figures he’ll meet the higher ups someday and until then run around as their errand boy with the occasional vague guidance in his head. He’s probably still here because he didn’t willing give over the job.

“Well then. Seems that who or what they are agree with me.” Ford straightens the cloak and after a moment changes it to something more comfortable. A dark trench coat and sweater. The new reaper smiles. He looks younger than he did a moment ago as well.

“Really you don’t have to...”

“Spend more time with my twin? Watch over my family? Really get to see some of the deeper secrets of the world?”

Stan sighs but then smiles. He’d be lying if he said he wouldn’t love the company. It sounds like an okay job when you put it like that.

“Kings of...Death?” Ford holds up a six fingered hand.

Stan returns the high six.

“Kings of Death!”

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from but I hoped you enjoyed.
> 
> [There's fanart!](https://elisheva9467.tumblr.com/post/632373650238177280/kings-of-death-so-a-couple-of-days-ago-actually-i) Elisheva designed how the boys would look. Go check out their page!


End file.
